Ok...I KNOW for a fact that there are a good few people on this board that like to togue (drive mountain roads). I think it would be fun if one night....or day....some of us could all get together and run a mountain pass. Not to like, kick each other asses...but you know, just to have fun...see where we are at in driver skill, learn new techniques, set-ups, etc. etc. kinda like that whole "Team Mighty Miniz" thing, which I think is really cool. Doesnt matter if you're in a xA, or xB, or TC...hell...it doesnt even NEED to be a Scion, just as long as you love to drive mountains (or just want to watch, or learn), it's totally cool. Only catch is this only pretains to 909, 951, 760, 619, 858 area codes. So..... anyone interested? PM me or jsut post a reply. I know you guys are out there!!

 

I used to get out more, but seeing as all the roads in OC seem to be straight, touge is easier said than done. I ran in my MR2 and currently in my 86. Lots of fun as long as you know your limits.

The xA isn't as fun as the 86 in the touge though.

 

this is kinda depressing...it seems like scion drivers just like to drive in a straight line really fast....

 

I just love passing ppl and getting their stares with my camera sitting in the passenger side! lol too fun. I'm not really one to drive touge though, maybe when my Koni's come in I could set them to hard and go have sum fun with ya.

 

lol, sounds good to me!

 

Coming from the 86 I can tell you that cornering in the xA is definitely a challenge. Part of it is that the car is just plain tall, so it has a high center of gravity. I'm on stock suspension on the xA and although it's zippy it doesn't exude the confidence the 86 does.

However it's nothing some stiff sway bars and slightly increased spring rates probably couldn't address decently. This is the Colin Chapman approach(Lotus) or you could go softer sway bars and stiff springs (the BMW way). I'd like to try the Chapman approach myself.

 

most definately! I'm on the stock shocks/struts with S-Techs, so not only is the car a bit more lower, the spring rates are stiffer as well. Not exactly the best suspension set-up to togue with, but it holds well enough. I also just got my car realigned up at autobacs, had them set the toe as close to 0 as possible. They were able to get it 0.0 on the left front and 0.8 on the right, instead of the normal slight toe-in setting that it comes out the factory with, Noticed a better turn-in response. Unfortunetly the most camber they could give me was -1.2 up in front. I will be getting the JIC FLTA2 soon so I'll have a much better suspension set up seeing as how along with ride height adjustabilty it has 15 levels of dampening aswell. Just hope that Vivid Racing will approve me!! Then after that I'll up it again with a TRD sway, then some pillowball mounts for more camber adjustment. But then again, I might just skip the JIC and go straight for the Tein Superstreets that already come with pillowballs. But the JICs design sound more tantilizing, I also saw somewhere that the ride height adjustable only JIC coilovers have a spring rate of 5(f) 4(r) which I'd assume is no different for the FLTA2s. A nice, more aggressive spring rate in my opinion compared to the Tein's 3(f) 3.2(r)

 

Hah. I'd like to see a scion go fast in a straight line let alone go fast in corners.

 

lol, my bad, I meant to say TRY to go in a stright line. And going through coners fast? well..I guess small and light weight doesnt make much sense to you. Believe me or not but I hung with a Cadillac CTS at a local pass and was no further back than 4 cars, along with an STI. Sure 4 cars is alot but when a car is close to 300hp and I'm only 100whp, and 4 cars is the FURTHEST length that it pulled away before I caught up...well nevermind, I don't think you'd understand or appreciate it. If you don't belive that an xA can hold up just ask Tamago, I'm pretty sure he'll get you're head out of your a$$

 

Light weight and small makes sense to me but where is the power to make up for it? How can you measure their driver skill? I can easily see a STI equiped with a proper driver easily blow away an xA.

As far as my head up my ___? Keep an open mind and realize that the xA isn't exactly a fast car when compared to other cars out there.

 

really? our car? underpowered? well I'll be damned! I...did...not...knnooow that!! thanks! look, I'm not talking about driving in a straight line, or a curvy/wavy mountain road. I'm talking about technical **** passes. If you really did make sense out of lightweight and small, then you'd realize that compared to bigger/faster cars out there...we hold a small advantage on tight tracks (ie mountain passes). Sure, I won't be smoking an STI anytime soon in an xA, but I sure as hell am not going to let it go easily. And yeah, driver skill doesnt count. Unfortunetly 3/4 of driver out there can't drive for ****, let alone on a tight pass. But I have ran with my friend in his RSX-S (who btw got me into the whole togue thing, and is a good driver) and yes, I may not have "smoked" him, but I sure as hell gave him quite a challange. Power isn't everything...unfortunetly, America and some of us Americans make it seem like it's all that matters. Like I said, I really don't think you'd understand or take into appreciation and what I'm getting at because, well we seem to be from two different camps. You keep on thinking what you think, and I'll keep thinking what I think.

 

I thought you weren't talking about mountain driving?

The small advantage the xA has over other larger vehicles is not significant when comparing it other cars out there you have listed, sti, rsx ,etc.

As far as letting an sti go easily, if anyone is half decent at driving their sti, your xa would be nowhere in sight on ANY type of comparison, mountain roads, circuit racing, etc.

The only REAL advantage the xA has over previously listed cars is GAS MILEAGE and possibly certain cargo space provisions.

I'm not fighting your belief as I consider it ignorant for not being able to accept your car for what it is. It simply isn't the great car you make it seem.

The main reason I'm straightening the facts is misinformation really misleads other people who are reading your message.

I would also like to know what you would call "technical **** passes" ?

PS: tight tracks are not mountain passes.

 

ignorant? for not accepting my car as it is? you really do have you're ehad up your ___!! but its so far up that lump in your throat is your nose!! funny, because last time I checked i always knew my car to be underpowered!!! if you think i am glorifiying my car as you assume i am, then once again...head up the a$$, and you must not read and take in information well. I stated in a few post above, that we have a SLIGHT...let me say it again for you SLIGHT, advantage becasue of our lightweight. Hm...that doesn't sound so glorifying. Oh wait!! I also said that I won't be smoking any STI's anytime soon, and oh wait!! again!! I said later that I may not have smoked my friend...that doesn't sound glorifying either! If you think I am ignorant, than you are just as guilty if not more. You have a hard time realzing that a smaller, lightweight car holds a small advantage over larger, heavier, higher horsepower cars through any technical circuit, being that being smaller,lighter cars have a quicker steering response and less weight to hold through a turn, and as we all know the lighter a car is, the quicker it is. Keyword QUICKER, not FASTER. Like I said, go on believing that smaller and lighter doesn't mean **** when it comes to tight, technical passes/circuits and that it holds nor even a slight advantage when compared to larger, higher hp cars, frankly I don't care. And like I said before, I wish Tamago would see this thread.He auto-crosses with his xA through tight/technical courses and he is up their with the higher hp cars in times. But like I said, believe what you believe, and I will too. But don't say that I'm ignorant, and that I don't accept my car for what it is, and that I'm giving misinformation. The fact is really, you are the one misinforming, because you SWEAR up and down that a small, light, underpowered cars do not have any advantages over larger, high hp cars when it comes to driving through technical areas. Be it a track, or a pass. Like I said before aswell....more hp doesnt mean that you'll always smoke whoever. So if you still think I'm ignorant, fine by me. At least I know by experience the facts that I say. You on the other hand seem to base it on the good ol' american meathead "dude bro, the more horsies I got the better I am!!!" sure...that works in a straight line, or an oval....but where's your hp gonnacome in when you are doing only 1-3 gear technical runs and having to constantly take corners and you car is heavy?

 

btw...I guess all those people that are trying to lighten up their car using carbon fiber, titanium, lighter steel, aluminum, taking out audio systems, power steering, ac, flooring, etc. etc. are wasting their time huh? Since you know...lighter weight doesn't mean anything!!! Guess manufacturers had us duped!! it's all just for show!!!

 

Well, this is quite the discussion, or something.

As a "member" of TMMZ = Team Mighty Miniz, I would say that the box, and the xA are good for canyon driving. look over on motoringunderground.com, for other former TMMZ members. See if any of them are local you you and if they are out driving the canyons.

Jason

 

cool, thanks. and another thank you, thank you for agreeing with me that because of our cars SIZE and LIGHTWEIGHT, they are good for canyon driving

 

What is your definition of good for canyon driving? Seems like almost any car out there can be good for canyon driving as long as they are small and lightweight?

Congrats on those pushing their cars at autocross or other sancationed events rather than driving recklessly through public streets.

I've autocrossed and done many road track events at local socal tracks and venues and it really all comes down to driver. Comparing that to street driving/mountain etc is not comparable at all.

Since when have I said that light weight meant nothing? In the case of the xA however, the light weight in itself is not enough to make up for the handling and power differences that real sports cars have. End of story.

If you really want to take your xA to the next level to truely compete with other cars out there, look into an engine swap and complete suspension/chasis renovation.

 

One more note, I've never claimed it was all horsepower that would kill an xa. Lets say the STI for example, even though it is heavier, it has better equiped brakes, suspension and chasis. Doesn't that alone qualify it to be blowing the doors off an xa wherever they compete?

scion xA

low power + light weight + low performance suspension = slow

not even competitive to a Sti at all.

but if you take it and add more power (talking about at least 140+ whp here, not the stock 90-95 ish), and completely redo the suspension and lighten it up, it can definately be a competitor.

 

Wait, first of all, I'd like to know of some good roads for anything like togue. In 949 there isn't anything good so help me out, where can I get something fun to drive?

 

why dont you guys try to take ortega? you can try to pass each other in the corners and see who rolls to the bottom of the hill first. lol j/k